Let Me Count The Ways
by StephFlack
Summary: CSI Alana Cahill was Jess Angell's best friend and the daughter of the Police Commissioner. Detective Don Flack was arrogant and an ass, but she loved him and promised Jess she would look out for him. How will she be able to when he hates her?
1. How Far Do You Want To Go?

**CHARACTER INFO:**

**Alana Cahill- 27, daughter of NYPD Commissioner, Best friend to Jessica Angell. Has red hair, green eyes and is 5'2".  


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**Alana Cahill stared at the photos on her screen, trying to make sense of the crime scene. She could feel a headache starting to crawl up her neck, from her lack of glasses and having to deal with an arrogant detective earlier. She rubbed the back of her neck, closing her eyes for a moment.**

"HELLO PRINCESS!"

"WHOA!" Alana jumped a mile and saw a smirking Detective Don Flack standing there with his arms crossed.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" He just laughed at her angered expression and sat next to her.

"Stop being so damn dramatic, Princess. Whatcha' got for me?" She glared at him and pulled up two pictures of the body.

"Gang tats. From that new group in the Bronx that likes to deal drugs at the schools. Not much I can give you yet Flack." He just nodded, taking note of the gang. He walked out, leaving Alana, pretty much annoyed. _Always a freakin' smartass. _

Flack walked out, satisfied that he got Alana all riled up. He has known her since he became a detective. Her father was the Police Commissioner of the NYPD, one of the richest politicians in the city. From the first day he met her, he thought of her as spoiled, a brat who got what she wanted. It surprised him that she wanted to be a CSI, but that didn't mean he thought differently of her. He walked over to Danny, his right hand man in interviewing potential suspects. Both him and Danny grew up in the Bronx, so they knew how to blend in and find out information.

"Yo Danny!"

"Done annoying Cahill?" Flack could see Danny smirking and he just rolled his eyes.

"Don't analyze me Messer." Danny let out a chuckle and turned to face him.

"You like her," he sang. Flack crossed his arms, smirking.

"Ya done?"

"Yes. Whataya want?"

"Princess gave me info about the victim. Ready to visit the old neighborhood?" Danny chuckled, grabbing his coat.

"She has a name, ya know." Flack just hit his shoulder a little harder than normal, walking out with him. As much as he knew Danny was teasing, it still bugged him. He didn't like Alana like that. She was a pain in his ass. And he wouldn't let her forget it.

Alana knocked on Stella's door, smiling a bit. She was hoping she would have some aspirin, since Lindsay didn't have any on her. Stella gave her a big grin, offering her a seat in Mac's office.

"This is a surprise."

"I just came to see if you had any Advil."

"Flack again?" Alana saw the smirk on Stella's face and rolled her eyes.

"No."

"Don't deny it Alana. I've known you for a long time. And I mean LONG." She just nodded, silently cursing herself for agreeing. When she met Flack six years ago, she was starting graduate school and found him initially attractive...until he decided to call her Princess. This pissed her off to no end. It's like he wanted to see how far she would go. Of course, he told her numerous of times that she could be Mother Theresa and he would still find her a spoiled brat. That bothered her to no end. She thought he was kind-hearted, honest...sometimes too honest, but she never told him that. Two could play at that game. She called him arrogant, an ass, stubborn, and sometimes cold-hearted. She took the aspirin from Stella and swallowed them, sighing.

"What did he do now?"

"Sneak up on me. He knows I can't hear very well, so he uses it to play tricks on me." Stella chuckled, sitting back down.

"How far do you want to go?"

"Stella, brain hurts. Not the time for riddles."

"How do you want this to end? Do you want to be friends with him, more than friends, or eternal enemies?"

"I...I don't know Stell. I just want him to stop. I'm honestly like everyone else, I just have more money in my account. I just don't get why he won't drop it."

"I can't speak for Flack, but I know you and you do give off the vibe that you are normal. I think for him, you're his boss's daughter. You're off limits." It was now Alana's turn to chuckle. _Don Flack, liking me? Not in a million years._

"He doesn't like me Stella."

"Yes he does. Maybe if you were more confident and acted indifferent to his childish antics, maybe he'll admit it." But would she admit it? She didn't even know how she really felt about him.

"I don't know Stella."

"Just think about it and work on the case." Alana nodded, walking out and back to the A/V lab. Even if he liked her, he still loved Angell. Angell was Alana's best friend. It would never work out.


	2. Calling All Angels

**I'm going to try to get out as many chapters as it comes to me. Please tell your friends about this story and I love to read your comments. I'm new on here, so it would help me a lot.

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About 20 years ago, Alana had met Jess at a play-date set up by their fathers. Looking back on it, it was the most awkward way to meet a friend. Alana was seven and fully capable of meeting her own friends...if she wasn't hearing impaired. Jess was ten and fully capable of meeting her own friends...if she didn't threaten to beat them up. Alana was pretty much afraid of Jess the whole time. At the end of the play-date, Jess turned to her and smiled. Alana remembered what she said. _If anyone teases you, let me know. I'll beat their butts up._ Alana could remember Jess's dad getting mad at her for saying that, but surprisingly proud. Alana was just happy to get her first best friend. And it actually lasted.

They were inseparable. They went through middle school and high school together. Jess joined the academy like her brothers did, right out of school while Alana went to NYU. It was funny that Alana met Flack before Jess did, since they worked in the same precinct together. Jess used to laugh about Alana's and Flack's encounters at the press conferences or police balls and how they were at each other's throats. Then when Jess became Flack's partner, they suddenly stopped talking about him and work in general. Maybe to avoid conflict, or maybe just because she knew Jess was falling for Flack. Flack never knew they were best friends until towards the end of Jess's life. Alana remembered Jess getting annoyed that he was annoyed that they were friends. Of course, it quickly disappeared when he pretended to be nice to Alana. It felt like high school all over again. She dealt with it for Jess's sake. The day of Jess's death, her words rand through Alana's head as they had their last phone conversation. _Lana, if something were to happen to me, please look out for him for me. He might be an ass, but I don't want to see him go down because I'm not there. _At the time, Alana thought she was being highly unrealistic and Jess would live a long life and marry Flack, but she still promised. It was her best friend, after all.

Then she died. Simon Cade killed her. It shook Alana to her core. Her one and only best friend was taken away from her in cold blood. She remembered the tears coming down Flack's face at autopsy, at the funeral, even at the bar before Danny was shot. She knew Jess felt her death coming on, which is why she made Alana promise. And Alana took it to heart, even if Flack never realized it. She picked him up nights when he couldn't drive home because he was too drunk, even if she felt it was too excessive for a broken heart. She took him to get tested to make sure that he didn't get anything from the random whores he went home with. She helped him find an AA group right by his apartment. She followed him to most of his AA meetings, to make sure he was getting help. And every Friday, she went to visit Jess and give her an update. Flack probably took it for granted- after all, he thanked Danny and Mac for setting him straight, being there for him, not Alana. She knew he still thought of her as a pain in his ass, so she didn't ask for his thanks. One day, he might see that she was there for him and maybe he'll hate her less. Maybe, if he actually looked a bit to his right on Fridays, he would see her standing there, watching him talk to Jess.

Don Flack was not an overly emotional man. Yes, he was a bit of a jokester with the CSI and some of his other co-workers, he could be a bad ass, even a sweetheart with kids. But he never showed his sensitive side, for the exception to three people- Danny, Mac, and Angell. Angell. Even a year later, hearing her name tugged at his heartstrings. _If only I had more time...I would've fallen head over heels in love. _Yes, he loved Jessica Angell, even for the short time they were together. Even if her best friend was Princess. His world disappeared when she died, and his spirit died when he killed Simon Cade. Only his God and Mac knew he killed him. Danny probably knew since he was raiding the place with him.

Flack drank away his guilt, slept away his pain for Jess with random whores. He wasn't even himself anymore. He barely recognized his own reflection in the mirror. One day, it went too far, him going AWOL during a major serial killer case. Mac had found him, hungover and beaten up. Mac didn't want to hear his excuses- he was pissed and disappointed. Mac was one of his best friends and that hurt him to see Mac turn his back on him if he didn't shape up, so he did. Danny urged him to AA. Mac let him remain on the case. And every Friday after AA and even when AA ended, he visited Jess. There were always fresh flowers there, like someone visited before him. He never put much thought into it. He stands there for a few minutes in silence, then begins to talk to her. Some weeks, he talked about himself. Most weeks, he ranted about work and how annoying Alana was. He felt like she was always keeping an eye on him. At first, he thought she felt bad and wanted to give her condolences. But now, he didn't like it. She never speaks when she does look at him from a distance, but he knows she is looking. He never understood Jess's and Alana's friendship. They were opposites in all walks of life except for the fact that both of their dad's were police officers. Then again, he could see how they were. He had to admit, the fiery redhead was smart, and beautiful. He slight accent from her hearing loss sounded really soothing to his ears, but he couldn't stand her ability to stand up to people. She was good at verbal cues and attacks. He found that it made her seem stuck-up, even if she was defending a kid from an abuser or when she's defending herself to him. If Jess was still alive, she would be rolling her eyes at him and telling him to suck it up.

Today was the anniversary of Jess's death and both of them were a bit on edge. The case hadn't been solved- the gang refused to help, there was no DNA hits and both Danny and Lindsay were out sick. Alana had been at the lab all night, trying to find something. Flack had gone home and come back to the lab to see if anyone has found anything. Instead, he found Alana asleep at the computer. He looked at the screen and saw that she was running some tests on the unknown substance on the victim's wounds. She actually looked peaceful to him and he was tempted to scare her awake, but even that was too cruel for him to do to her. He just found a random sweater in the A/V lab and put it over her shoulders before walking out to find Mac.

Alana woke up from the shrill sounds coming from the computer. The sweater fell off her shoulders and she figured Adam must've put it on her since he couldn't get her to leave. She felt her grin growing bigger as she grab the printout and ran out of the lab, looking for Mac. Not really watching where she was going, she crashed right into Flack's back.

"I didn't know you were that attracted to me Princess" he smirked. Alana could feel her blood boiling a bit, but ignored his comment, grabbing her file and walked up to Mac.

"The substance in the wounds was snake venom. And we only know one person who harvests it." She could tell Flack's jaw dropped and Mac's face suddenly got a smirk.

"Thank you Alana. Flack." Mac walked out with both Flack and Alana standing there.

"What are you still doing here Flack?"

"You look like crap. Go home." He walked off after Mac leaving Alana unsure whether to be pissed or thankful for his sudden concern. She shrugged it off, heading to the locker room when she heard Mac's voice again.

"ALANA! Are you coming?"

"Oh! Right on your tail Mac!" She ran over into the elevator right before the doors closed and stood next to Flack. He tugged at her ponytail and she pinched him. Mac's back was facing them, so they just decided to start annoying each other.

"Keep it up and I'm shooting both of you." Alana and Flack suddenly dropped their hands, moving farther away from each other in the elevator. They drove to the suspect's lab, hoping it would be a simple arrest. They all thought wrong. As soon as Flack announced them, the guy ran. Alana ran after him while Flack and Mac went to block the other exits. All the sudden he pulled out a gun, and she cursed to herself, wishing that it was Flack doing the chasing. She hid behind a lab table as bullets were ricocheting off the metal surfaces in the room. Alana let off a few shots, knowing she probably didn't hit him considering he kept moving, she kept moving, and they were in a metal room. _My luck really sucks!_

Flack had run into Mac at the front of the building. He got all the other employees out and hadn't seen the suspect or Alana.

"Flack have you seen--" They heard the sound of gunshots and ran back inside the lab. Flack spotted the suspect shooting, but he couldn't find Alana. He was actually beginning to worry when he saw a flash of red run behind another table. She was still alive, but by this point the suspect had spotted Flack and Mac.

"MAC, GET DOWN!" Mac and him ducked behind some tables as Alana began shooting again. She reloaded when she felt something crawling up her leg.

"Shit, shit, shit!" She saw a snake crawling up her leg. Her luck was really getting bad. They are getting shot at and there's a venomous snake sliding up her leg, it couldn't get any worse. He finally ran out of ammo and just ran as Flack went after him. Mac walked over and saw Alana's petrified face.

"Mac...that's the snake. Get it off me," she said in a forced calm. Any hint of fear and she could get bit. Any false moves, and she could get bit. She didn't like the odds.

"Hold still. I'll find the clamps for it." She whimpered internally as we walked off to find the clamps. Flack walked back in, looking quite pleased that they finally caught the guy and walked over to Alana.

"Oh, that's a really attractive face."

"Go. Away."

"Why so bitchy, Princess?"

"There's a snake."

"I know you hate me, but really, a snake?"

"Flack, right now, I would love to shoot you, but that would risk me getting bit, so shut. up." He finally looked down at her leg and saw that she really was telling the truth.

"You were telling the truth."

"No shit Sherlock." He glared at her and she continued to look around the room. The snake had finally stopped moving, so she let out a long breath in relief. Mac finally came over with animal control and they got the snake off her leg. Once they did, she smacked Flack.

"YOU ARE AN ASS!" He was trying hard not to laugh at her outbursts and smacks. She was getting more annoyed by the minute.

"Would you grow up and get over yourself? I'm tired of dealing with you when you're like this!"

"It's kind of hot seeing you all bothered."

"ARGHH!" She stormed off and this time, he wasn't that proud of himself. He actually felt somewhat guilty. Mac just shook his head at Flack, disappointment written all over his face. Flack went outside, to see if he could find Alana, but she was gone.

"...he's a complete ass, Jess. But I got to admit, it was the first time I've saw him laugh like that since before you died." Alana stood in front of Jess's gravestone and smiled. It had been a long day, but she hadn't forgotten. She felt like someone was behind her, but she didn't bother to look. The memorial park got a lot of visitors in July.

"He still misses ya, Jess. You can still read it in his eyes. I doubt he'll ever get over you, but I'll be there for him, even if he acts like he's five." She heard a chuckle behind her and turned to see Flack there with some flowers.

"You talk to her too?"

"Every Friday. You're here a little earlier than usual."

"Excuse me?"

"You usually arrive as I leave." She smiled at him and walked up to him.

"I'll give you two sometime. See you later Don." He watched her walk off, then turned to walk over to the gravestone, setting some flowers down.

"Well, I guess you were right. She is a better person than I had assumed."


	3. Go Figure

Alana hadn't really seen Flack since they ran into each other at the cemetery. That was a month ago. Since then, she had been working with this rookie detective who had this thing where he always hit on her. She wasn't sure what bothered her more, Flack's teasing or Connors's flirting. Needless to say, she sort of miss Flack- his blue eyes, his stunning smile. She was in trace when she could smell Connors's cologne from down the hallway.

"He's on his way. Hide!" Alana laughed at Adam, who was trying to "hide" in a room that had glass walls. She could see Connors sleazing his way over to the room, with that hideous grin on his face. A chill went down her spine as he walked in, heading straight towards her.

"Hey gorgeous. Got something a little special for me?" She could see Adam pretending to vomit behind him and it took all her willpower not to laugh.

"It's been five minutes since you last asked. My answer hasn't changed."

"Well, how about we do a little something while we wait." She felt his hands go up and down her arm and she lost it. She pinned his arms behind him and slammed him into the wall.

"Don't. Touch. Me," she hissed.

Flack was in Mac's office when they heard a loud thunk. As they ran out the room, they could see everyone in the lab stopped at staring at something. Flack followed their gazes and saw Alana having his partner pressed against the glass. He was livid, but not at Alana. He knew Alana was just defending herself from this...perv of a partner he got. He could see Adam standing there in amazement as Mac stormed into Trace, with Flack right on his tail.

"Connors! What the hell! I told you to leave her alone."

"The bitch attacked me Taylor! Flack knows how evil she is." Flack saw a glimpse of hurt in her eyes as she looked at Mac.

"Adam?"

"He was touching her inappropriately. She responded by doing that." Mac nodded and gently pulled Alana off Connors. She walked back a bit, not meeting Flack's eyes.

"As of right now, Detective Flack is working this case. Your ass is going back down to the precinct and I'm reporting you for sexual harassment." Connors glared at Alana and rubbed his wrists.

"He was right. You're not worth it." He glanced at Flack and walked out. Alana was frozen. Tears were threatening to spill as she looked at Flack, too stunned to speak.

"I'm not worth it?"

"Princess, it was-"

"Go to hell Don." She walked past him, storming towards the locker room. As soon as she got there, the floodgates opened and her heart just sank.

He watched her storm off. Everyone went back to work except for Adam and Mac who were still slightly stunned at what just happened. He had to go see her, to tell her he only said it to protect her from Connors. He made a move towards the door, but Mac put his hand on his chest, stopping Flack in his tracks.

"You've done enough for today. Leave her alone." Mac walked off, probably to report the incident to Alana's dad. Flack sighed and walked downstairs as well. For the first time since he knew her, she never looked at him, in that much pain from what he had cause. He felt so guilty about it, but he didn't know why he felt that way. Most of the time, it was a common thing. She gets mad, he laughs it off. But he tried to keep Connors off her and now he felt guilty for saying something he shouldn't have. He sat at his desk and pondered at the thoughts running through his head. It was the first time he'd seen her in a month. Her hair was slightly longer, her eyes seemed greener. He shook his head, trying to get past the physical thoughts now floating in his head. He watched the captain, Mac, and The Commissioner all getting more livid at Connor's in the captain's office. The door was closed, but if there was one thing he did learn from Alana, it was to read lips. Of course, he was a bit rusty. He leaned back in his chair and realized something, his sworn enemy just turned into the girl that he could possibly like. _Go figure._

Alana finally walked out of the locker room, with her heart feeling like someone had lit it on fire, then stomped on it to get the fire out. She thought she might have been getting somewhere with Flack, maybe becoming tolerant of each other. Instead, the complete opposite happens. She couldn't get passed the fact that he spoke so venomously of her. She could see Adam open and shut his mouth as she walked back into Trace. She sat down and started processing the evidence again, more focus on it than earlier. Stella was also there, watching Alana with a concerned eye. Alana didn't need to be watched. She just wanted it to be dropped, something she highly doubt will happen since Adam is the lab's biggest gossiper. Mac walked in and she silently groaned, knowing what was about to happen.

"Connors has been given the boot, but your father would like to speak to you. May I suggest you take the rest of the day off and come back in tomorrow." She simply nodded, knowing it was better not to argue with Mac or her father. She walked out, pulling her hair out of the ponytail and walking back into the locker room, switching her lab coat for her purse. Walking downstairs into the precinct, she could see her father talking to the captain and Flack glaring at Connors. She didn't get why he was glaring unless he was pissed that Connors spilled. That wouldn't surprise her. She walked up to her father, crossing her arms as he led her to a spare office.

"Alana, why didn't you come to me sooner?"

"Mac said he would stop. It's not a huge deal dad."

"Alana Margaret. You know better." She just nodded. Admitting she was wrong would just make it easier for her to leave sooner.

"Why didn't you ask Flack?"

"Because he's an ass and apparently, I'm not worth it."

"Not worth it?"

"Dad, with Flack, it's complicated, but I don't want to talk about him. I just want to go home." He just nodded and watched her leave. Flack noticed that she left the office and was heading to the doors. He got up to follow her when her father called for him. He walked in and felt like he was going to be scolded by his own father.

"Not worth it? When I asked you to get Connors off her case, you said you had it under control."

"And I did. I just said it wrong." The commissioner shook his head and sat down.

"Don, I've known you since you were born. Now I know you and Alana haven't gotten along in the last six years, but I'd figured by now you two would be tolerating each other."

"With all due respect sir, your daughter drives me nuts. But I've been learning recently that she deserves better from me than my relentless teasing."

"Then how did all of this come about?"

"I told Connors to back off, that she wasn't his type. He said he didn't care, so I told him she wasn't worth it. Not because I personally believed it, but I wanted him to leave her alone. I honestly did sir." Commissioner Cahill sighed and nodded. Flack knew that the commissioner had read him like a book.

"She's going home. When your shift is over, you may apologize to her." Flack just nodded and walked out. He really felt horrible now. The dad guilt really made it worse.

Alana was curled up on her couch in her apartment. She was reading the latest Forensic Journal and drinking some tea. It was how she calmed down. Reading and tea. Maybe she should've let him explain, see what he was trying to say. Then again, he probably just try and sugar coat it. She fixed her tank top and walked back over her stove to get some more tea. As she was leaving her tiny kitchen, she heard a small knock on her door. It was a soft knock, which at first, made her think something had fell. She walked up to her door and opened it seeing Flack standing there.

"Alana--" She slammed the door in his face. _I deserved that._ He knocked on her door again and she opened the door again, looking really annoyed. He walked in and watched her go into her kitchen and pour him a glass of tea.

"I'll tell my father you apologized so you're off the hook. So you're free to leave."

"Why are you assuming that I don't want to be here?"

"The only time you call me by my real name is after you talked to my father. " He looked down, ashamed of how he had been treating her after all this time. She was right in that sense, he did talk to her father, but he really did want to apologized.

"Lana, I...I really am sorry. Mac asked me to take care of Connors and I thought if I told him that, he would back off. I don't think that at all."

"I find that hard to believe Don."

"I know. That's my fault. I've been an ass to you, for longer than I should've." Alana nodded, sitting down next to him and watched him talk.

"I've been doing some thinking--"

"You think?" He caught sight of her smirking a bit and chuckled.

"Let me finish, Princess. You've always been this nice and I just assumed that you were just a brat by the way I've heard about you. I judged you before I knew you. Jess...she helped me see you as a different person, but I thought you were just doing it for her."

"You thought wrong. "

"I know. Stop interrupting. I've been wrong for six years and I would like the chance to make it right." Alana looked at him trying to read the expression on his face. His usually crisp, ice blue eyes had soften, almost looking guilty themselves. His face seemed a bit older than usual, the wear and tear of this job slowly scaring into it. She slowly smiled, rubbing his arm.

"Then we're friends."

"Friends." He held back his sigh knowing that he was still on thin ice. She hugged him, something she hadn't done since the funeral. She smiled at him and stood up, grabbing her coat.

"So, since we are now friends, how about we go get something to eat and watch the Rangers?"

"I like the way you think!" He walked out with her, both of them actually happy around each other.


	4. Please Don't Stop The Rain

Flack was at the sports pub with Danny, Sheldon, Mac, and Adam, sort of celebrating Sheldon's birthday, but mainly watching reruns of past Rangers games. It was Flack's first night off since he visited Alana two weeks ago. He was rather surprised how well he got along with her, once he stopped thinking so poorly of her. Yeah, he still called her Princess, but it was more of a pet name now than used to annoy her. Being friends with her even made work seem more tolerable. Then again, Danny and Stella made it their life's mission to get Flack to "confess" his feelings about Alana. Flack always disappoints them. He wasn't sure how he felt about Alana. On top of that, if he did like her, would she be considered a rebound or an actual girlfriend? He was never quite sure on those things. Danny said his random flings were his rebounds. He hadn't asked Stella her opinion on it, but he figured he would be interrogated to no end and he had a soft spot for Stella, so he'd spill quickly. Danny pinched his arm, trying to get Flack to focus again.

"Have you gotten a date for the Commissioner's ball yet?" Flack shook his head at Mac and Sheldon smirked.

"Waiting to ask a certain gal?"

"No." Pretty much everyone at the table rolled their eyes as Flack felt his phone go off.

Alana had been cleaning her apartment all afternoon and finally sat down on her couch, sighing. Lindsay and Stella were going to be arriving soon for their Girls' Night In and Alana hadn't even begun to cook. She grabbed her purse, heading out the door to stop by the corner deli. As she walked out of the apartment complex, she could feel someone watching her. Every time she turned around, no one was there. She tried shaking it off, thinking it was just her nerves. She got in line at the deli and her fears were confirmed when she saw Connors walk in. She put her hood up on her hoodie, hoping to god that he didn't spot her. It worked. She got the sandwiches she needed and walked out the door, heading back to her place. However, when she turned around again when she got in front of the building, she recognized the car again. She ran inside, looking out her window to see who it was. They weren't in the car. She let out a breath.

"Man, I got to stop watching these horror flicks." She heard a knock at her door and her breath literally disappeared. She looked in her peep hole and grab her phone. He had saw her.

"Flack."

"Don?" He heard her whisper. He sat up straighter, not liking the tone of her voice.

"What's the matter?"

"Connors has been following me and he's now standing outside my door." Everyone was staring at Flack as he stood up.

"Stay where you are. I'm on my way."

"Just hurry because he's looking really-" He heard a loud crash and Alana screaming. Flack ran out of the bar, with everyone on his tail. He was only a couple blocks from her place, so he just ran, praying that he would get there in time.

Alana dropped her cell phone, her reflexes being a bit delayed as the intruder entered her apartment. Connors was making a beeline towards her and she finally started to back up, trying to get to her bedroom where her gun was. Instead, she tripped on the rug and was slammed and pinned against her wall, by her throat. Connors had this evil look in his eyes as his laugh filled her ears, as she struggled to breathe.

"Did you really think you could get away with making a fool out of me?!?!"

"I...I.." She tried to speak, but he was slowly cutting off her trachea.

"Most bitches would just let me do what I want so I would go away. Instead you decided to humiliate me and make me lose my job." Her hands were trying to pry him off her, but he was stronger than she thought. He suddenly threw her across the room, her back crashing into her bookcase and she slid down, trying to catch her breath. Connors started to kick her, making her fall back on the ground, praying for dear life that Flack would get here before she was dead.

"No one makes a fool out of me." She heard the venom in his voice before he kicked her head, knocking her out.

Flack saw her building as he finally ran down the last block. He could see Lindsay and Stella pulling up as he came to a stop.

"Why...are we...running?" Flack looked at Adam who was struggling for breath. The girls looked at him, confused as to why they are all here.

"Lindsay, call for a bus. Stella, call for back up. Connors has been stalking Alana and he's got her now. I gotta get in there." He ran up the stairs, with Danny and Mac behind him. He could hear some moaning coming from her apartment as he slowly walked in. Danny accidently made the floor creak and all the sudden, the moaning stopped. Flack could see Connors standing up, his back to the door, fixing his pants and heading towards them. He never felt more disgusted and he was now even more worried about Alana. As soon as he knew Connors was about to spot them, he raised his gun.

"NYPD! DROP YOUR WEAPON!"

"Ahh, good ole' Flack. Ya know, I gotta say buddy, I see why you didn't want anyone near her. She's a firecracker." Flack was getting angrier by the minute as he saw Mac and Danny enter the apartment through the window. Mac was getting ready to put his gun up to Connors's head and Danny was checking Alana out.

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND DROP THE GUN!"

"Hmmm...nope." Mac put his gun against Connors's head and cocked it.

"I'd do as he says." He was him lower the gun to the ground as Mac cuffed him. Flack ran over to Alana, seeing her all bruised up, cut up, and worse of all, her clothes destroyed. He covered her with a blanket, pulling her closer to him. Danny brought the medics over as they too her from Flack. His heart sunk a mile. It was like he was reliving Angell's death again. He ran down to the ambulance, climbing in and holding her hand as they rode to the hospital. He couldn't bring himself to let go of her hand as they rolled her into the ER. He sat down, his head in his hands.

Two hours soon turned into seven as he sat in the waiting room, to hear about her surgery. No one had come out to talk to him and he was getting anxious. He was watching the rain fall down, looking out at the city streets. Everything out there continued as usual, while in here, it all slowed down. Commissioner Cahill was sitting in one of the chairs, drinking his coffee as Mac informed him of what happened. Flack rubbed his neck, trying to relieve some of the tension from it.

" Are you here about Miss Cahill?" Flack walked up to the doctor at the same time as Commissioner Cahill did.

"Yes, we are. Is my daughter alright?"

"She's fine. She's lucky that her injuries weren't overly severe. The surgery went great and if all goes well, she can go home in a week or so. She's back in her room now, resting. I suggest one person at a time." The doctor walked off as Mac walked over.

"I have to get going. Give Alana my love and I shall see her later." Flack nodded, watching Mac leave. He turned to see the Commissioner gone. He sat back down and sighed. He didn't care if he missed the whole day of work, he needed to see Alana.

Alana watched her father leave and closed her eyes for a moment. He didn't really say much, just held her hand then left to go back to work. She let out a breath, realizing there was another person in her room. She opened her eyes, seeing Flack standing there. Her breath got caught as they locked eyes. He sat down next to her and grabbed her hand, not breaking eye contact.

"I'm so sorry Lana." She watched the tears fill his eyes as he leaned over to wipe them away.

"You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I didn't get there soon enough."

"At least you weren't too late." He nodded, looking down. He heard her groan as she laid back down on the bed.

"Did you hear what he did after you...you..." Alana looked up at the ceiling, trying not to tear up.

"Yes, I did. Dad told me." Flack nodded, still looking at the floor. He felt her squeezed his hand as he looked back up at her.

"Thank you, for everything."

"You're welcome, Princess." She smiled at him, kissing his hand. He felt this jolt of electricity go through him as she did that and it finally hit him. Never had it hit him like this. It didn't even happen with Jess, something that shocked the hell out of him. He watched her watch the rain.

"I've always wanted to dance in the rain. The hearing aids kind of stop that. Still, I love to watch it." Flack sat on the bed, looking at her.

"You still can if you got someone right there to hear for you."

"You'd dance in the rain for me?"

"I didn't say I was going to dance. I'd said I would be there for you." Alana chuckled, knowing that she was still stuck in friend mode. She didn't want that anymore. She wanted him. Little did she know, he wanted her like that too.


	5. Ready To Love Again

**This is longer than usual, but I had a lot of fun writing it. I hope you all enjoy it and keep up with the comments! Love, Steph

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Alana was finally back to work. Of course, it was against doctor's orders, but she couldn't stay home for one more day. She needed to get out of her apartment, partly because of the memory, but mainly because if she didn't, she's probably would die from boredom. As soon as she walked into the building, she was attacked into a hug by Lindsay and Stella. She laughed, hugging them back. She saw the rest of the team standing in front of her, smiling. The one person she secretly hoped would be there wasn't. She hid her disappointment as she hugged Danny, Mac and Sheldon.

"We are so happy you are back, but you're taking it easy."

"Got it Mac." He smiled at her as she joined them in the elevator and they headed up to the labs. She walked up to her locker and opened it, finding three white lilies in it.

"AWWW! Alana got flowers."

"Who are they from?" Alana took the flowers out, looking for the card. Stella and Lindsay were hovering over her shoulders as she searched her locker.

"I don't see a note."

"You got yourself a secret admirer." Alana chuckled at Stella's playful voice and just shrugged. More than likely, it was probably from her dad. Then again, a secret admirer would be pretty nice. Maybe she just needed to move on from Don seeing that he probably didn't feel the way she did.

Flack watched from the end of the hall, smiling as Alana smelled the lilies in her hands. He remembered her telling him that on one of the many days he visited her at the hospital. He had actually learned a lot about her just by listening to her ramble. The pain meds were more to blame when it came to her rambling, but he figured she had nothing else to talk about considering she was cooped up in that room. He remembered that feeling, though she had it slightly easier than him. He was in the hospital for a month after the bombing. He did remember implying to her to be his date for the ball, but she had fell asleep. He chuckled at that memory. He didn't always have the best timing when it came to this stuff.

"So...she got the flowers. Did you happen to leave a note at all?"

"No."

"Then why did you-"

"Just to see her smile." Danny stared at Flack in slight shock.

"Did I hear you right?"

"You could borrow Alana's hearing aids if you like Danny. I told you Lindsay's screeching would ruin your hearing." Danny rolled his eyes as Flack grinned. He saw Alana come out and smile at him. She walked up to him and gave him a hug.

"You're a bit late for the 'Welcome Back' event."

"I was running late. Sorry Princess."

"You used to say that the world doesn't revolve around me. You've changed Don." He saw her smile and he nodded.

"Well, I finally grew up." Danny started laughing at that and Flack glared at him. Alana giggled a bit, watching the exchanged between Flack and Danny. Flack finally looked back at her and she smiled again. _Dear God! My heart better not explode on me right now. _

"So, will you all be at the ball tonight? I don't want to be stuck with my father all evening, as much as I love him." Everyone nodded, including Flack, which made Alana even more nervous and excited.

The day went by really slow for Alana. She blamed her nerves for this. As she put on her green gown, she kept looking at the clock, counting down the time till she would see him. Her cell phone rang and she prayed she wasn't being called for a case. She looked at the caller id and saw it was Flack.

"Don?"

"Lana, could I get a ride with you? My car broke down."

"That's fine. I can be there in ten minutes."

"Actually, I'm already at your door." Alana ran to her door, opening it and seeing Flack standing there, smirking. She hung up her phone and chuckled.

"What are you doing here?"

"Bringing you the rest of your flowers."

"What...wait, YOU left the lilies in my locker?" His grin got bigger as he handed her the rest of the bouquet. Alana began to tear up, smiling and smelling the flowers. She moved out of the door frame to let him in. He walked in and looked at her. She was absolutely stunning to him. His original plan was to stop by, leave the lilies at her door and meet her at the hotel. Then his car broke down, so he had to revise the plan a bit.

"I was wondering if you wanted to be my date for tonight." Alana whipped around and looked at him in shock. He wasn't sure what to feel about this.

"Seriously? Date-date right? Not we'll-go-as-friends date?"

"Date-date." Her smile became bigger as she put the lilies into a vase on her counter.

" I never thought I'd hear you ask me that."

"I take that as a yes then?" She smirked at him and he saw her eyes twinkle and he knew she was saying yes.

"I guess, but if someone better comes along, I might be there date..." She was pulling his leg, and he loved it.

"You just bruised my pride Princess."

"Sorry Don, but it's the sad truth." She started to laugh as he joined her.

"I can't say that with a straight face!"

"I noticed." She settled down and smiled at him again. He could get used to that. She grabbed her purse and shawl, motioning to the door. He followed her out and pretty soon, they were arriving at the hotel. He knew that her father was going to pull her away for a portion of the ball, considering he's the Commissioner and it's the Commissioner's ball. He could see Stella fixing Mac's tie, Lindsay and Danny holding hands, and Sid, Sheldon and Adam talking animatedly about something.

Alana looked over at Flack in the car, not wanting to get out quite yet. She was enjoying the time alone with him. She caught his eyes and smiled at him. She wanted to say something that was nagging her: why he asked her out. But as she opened her mouth to ask he father knocked on Don's window. She sighed, and nodded, knowing that he needed to show her off a bit as he got chummy with some of the people he needed to help him get reelected. She felt Don squeeze her hand and she smiled at him. They got out and she followed her father into the hotel.

Finally, halfway through the night, she was able to go back to Flack. He was looking really sexy in his tux and his blue eyes landed on her and he excused himself from Danny to walk over to her.

"Hey stranger."

"Hello Princess. Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?" She felt her blush traveling down her body as she shyly looked down.

"No, I'm afraid you haven't." He gently lifted her chin up and smiled.

"You look so beautiful Alana." She was now sure that her face was completely red, but she didn't care. Don Flack had actually admitted she was beautiful.

"How about we ditch this party and go relax?"

"Sounds tempting, but technically, I'm supposed to stay for the whole thing."

"Your father won't notice." She thought about it and he did have a point.

"Where will we go?"

"Just trust me." She nodded as he grabbed her hand and they ran out of there. She hadn't felt this carefree since she was a teenager with Jess. Don had the valet bring her car around as she saw it start to sprinkle. They got in and he began to drive. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

"Why did you ask me out on a date?" He knew this question would be coming. He understood her reasoning behind it.

"I wanted to show you that I really did change and that I really do care for you." She smiled at him and grabbed his hand.

"You've been doing that Don." He pulled over as the rain came down harder and he looked at her.

"So, do you want to dance in the rain?"

"Yes! What about my dress?"

"Well, you can always take it to the cleaners in the morning." She nodded as she took out her hearing aids and walked out into the rain. Flack pulled her closer to him and began to sway with her. She was beginning to see that he did like her like she liked him. He brought his head down so that his mouth was right by her ear.

"I want to date you, Lana." She looked at him in awe. Practically a month ago, he had hated her and now, he wanted to be with her. She pulled him into a tight embrace and stood on her toes, smiling the whole time.

"I've wanted to date you for a long time Don."

"Then I guess we're dating now." She nodded and continued to dance with him.

"Don?"

"Yeah?" She looked right into his eyes and kissed his cheek. He was a bit surprised but he smiled and pushed some of the wet hair out of her face.

"Let's get you into some dry clothes." She nodded and drove him home.

"I don't want you home alone."

"Don, I'm fine. He's in jail and I got new locks."

"I would feel better knowing you were okay."

"How about I sleep on the couch?" He nodded as he handed her some sweats and a shirt to change into. He made up the couch, but then unmade it. She walked out and looked at him, confused.

"You're sleeping with me."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean...share the bed..." She laughed at his attempt to cover up his embarrassment and just crawled into his bed, patting the spot besides her. He crawled in and pulled her a bit closer to him as they both drifted asleep, finally at ease with each other.


	6. Morning After Dark

Alana could feel the sun kissing her face as she slowly began to wake up. There was something heavy around her waist and she realized it was an arm. The previous night hit her and she couldn't help the small smile that graced her features as she slowly opened up her eyes. There, laying besides her, snoring softly, was Flack. Her hand came up and barely touched the side of his face, feeling the stubble growing on his strong jaw line. He was the most beautiful man Alana had ever laid her eyes on and to think that last night, he had decided that he wanted to be with her. Well, he wanted to date her. They haven't even kissed yet and she could feel it deep within her that they would be electric. After all, they both were very passionate people, their fights in the past proving just that. She could watch him all morning if it was possible, but she didn't want to come off as creepy. Leaning in, Alana placed a soft kiss at the corner of his lips, noting how he began to stir a little from her action. Soon, those crystal blue eyes she loved so much opened and met her green ones, followed by his signature grin, which had a hint of sleepiness to it.

"Mornin'," he husked out, his voiced deeper than usual, making Alana shiver a little from it.

"Morning," she whispered, smiling at him as he blinked a few times to try and wake up. It was rare for both of them to have a day off and Alana was happy she was spending hers with him. Or at least, she hope she could spend it with him. He pulled her closer to him, making her release a breathless chuckle.

"How about some pancakes in bed, Princess? I happen to make a mean one."

"If you're offering, I can't refuse, although, I would like to help."

"Nope. Not allowed. One, you are still healing, so you need all the rest you can get. And two, I like to spoil my girlfriends here and there. Now, stay here."

Alana couldn't help but roll her eyes as Flack got out of bed and stretched as he sauntered out of his bedroom. She could quickly see this becoming a thing for them. Spending whatever mornings they could, making breakfast for each other, laying in bed and simply being with one another. Slowly, she sat up, wincing only slightly when her side pulled a little. While she was almost better, she still had a ways to go. She did go back to work earlier than her doctor wanted, but she wasn't one to rest or relax. Alana was always on the movie. Flack walked back in with a cup of coffee in his hands and she just smiled brightly at him. His heart began to beat faster when she did so and Flack knew then that this girl was going to change everything for him.

"Breakfast is almost ready. I hope you're hungry." When she eagerly nodded at him, Flack couldn't help the chuckle that fell from his lips. She seemed so happy about this and really, she should be. Why Flack never noticed this beautiful woman before was beyond him. 6 years, he knew her. _6 years._ As much as he loved Angell, there was something about Alana that made Flack want to set himself on fire, in a good way. Everything felt even better, and they haven't done much yet. He was going to change that, though. Alana deserved to be treated like the princess he so aptly nicknamed her.

"And, here we go!" Alana hung up her phone as Flack walked in, reassuring her father that she was okay.

"It smells like heaven, Don." And it did. As he handed her the plate, Alana had to make sure she wasn't drooling. Chocolate chip pancakes! How did he know these were her favorite?

"Jess told me a long time ago that your favorite breakfast food was this. I don't know how I managed to remember this after all of this time, but I hope you like them." Flack paused for a moment, looking down a bit.

"I love them," Alana softly said, seeing him look over at her. "I do. And it doesn't matter why you still remember it. The fact is, you did and that means more to me than you can imagine."

"They're just pancakes."

"It doesn't matter. It's more than anyone has done for me." Flack leaned over and kissed her cheek, realizing what she was saying. No one has really taken the time to care for Alana like this and Flack was determined to make sure she would never experience that again.

"Amelia. Rhea. Georgette!"

"Georgette? No way in hell!" Alana let out a laugh as Flack continued to see what names were her favorites for the children she saw in the future. Once their laughter had died down, Flack tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, looking softly down at her. Slowly, he leaned in and before they knew it, they were finally kissing. It was slow, hesitant. Then, the fear melted away as both of them felt more in this kiss than anything else that has happened to them in their life. Fireworks seemed like sparklers in regards to how amazing this kiss was.

"Fuck," he breathed when they pulled away and Alana nodded in agreement.

"I'm never leaving you now," she blurted out, making them both laugh again. This truly was the best morning they have ever had.


End file.
